I've gotten to the Mirror Lorca reveal in Discovery (which I thought was, like other things about Lorca, unsubtle and painfully edgy) and have been engaging in a the famed Trekkie passtime of "headcanonning the shit that doesn't make sense away in order to enjoy the show better". It's been... halfway working, I'd say. I think I sold myself on this plotline a little bit better than initially.
I'm talking about the Lorca Problem -- specifically the fact that apparently a transparently evil cartoon villain was commanding a Starfleet ship for a good while, and not a single person had a problem with it. Or like, had a problem big enough for a bigger investigation to be launched - the Admiral famously did have a problem with Lorca, and got kidnapped (and purposefully not rescued) by the Klingons before she could do anything - but I am talking about no one from the Discovery's crew (besides Stamets, who I'll get back to) raising any ethical concerns in the episodes prior to the reveal.
I guess an explanation that makes the most sense is that Lorca was (as captains were shown to be) in charge of picking their own crews. So he went for people that either supported his war-mongering, violent and manipulative style of command (the security chief, Michael with her Klingon prejudice), or who he coulr count on being easily manipulated. (Also Michael, who he knew from his universe and manipulated once already, Tilly - I assume he chose more cadets and unexperienced people than usually would be chosen, exactly for these reasons, Saru - the first officer would be usually the person to call out the captain on various bullshit, so this was probably an especially strategic choice). This leaves Stamets, who he needed to have on board anyway for the spore drive, and so Stamets is the only person who opposes him. (It also leaves the rest of the background characters, and that's what kind of ruins the illusion for me - could it be possible to build *a whole crew* out of huge pushovers or racists? Did he launch people who said anything into space off-screen and covered up their deaths?
I think the person who I judge the most for not meaningfully opposing Lorca is Culber. Culber... kind of sucks here? He has the front seat to the whole Stamets oposses Lorca -> Lorca's orders lead to Stamets being spore-lobotomized -> Lorca continues to push Stamets while Stamet no longer can say no. And you know, he makes worried faces about it, or whatever, but he only actually speaks up once Stamets is very seriously impacted - too little too late. If he was just a counselor and a doctor, this would be extremely neglectful, (even if Stamets lied about the episodes of disorientation etc, why on earth would you clear a crewman who underwent a sudden and complete personality change for service? "Magic to make the sanest man to mad" or whatever that episode is called plays the whole thing off for laughs, but like, in what world Stamet's behaviour is not extremely concerning?) but he is also married to this guy! Does he secretly hate Stamets? Dude!
(And why does he back off at the threat of Stamets having a physician that isn't him? Who are the other doctors on Discovery? How evil are they? Who even is the CMO and why does Culber react like it's someone who will put his husband down like a sick dog? Are they even *more* neglectful when it comes to clearing people for duty? Because that seems impossible.)
This whole thing is sort of like. What if in Mirror, Mirror evil Kirk came onboard and was like, let's start shooting people! And prime Spock was like, that doesn't sound right but I don't know enough about being a captain to say anything.
Anyway, Saru, I hope that "a slave owner gave me orders for months (?) on end and I thought this was fine" is going to inspire some self-reflection on you. And everybody else.
